ICAR hopes tide over any weather threat to wheat crop in February
IMD’s forecast of above-normal January temperatures in north-west India has raised concerns among wheat farmers ahead of the critical February grain-filling stage. However, ICAR remains confident, citing the crop’s resilience during the extreme February heat of 2025, when minimum temperatures were the highest recorded since 1901.
The prediction of above normal minimum and maximum temperatures in many parts of the north-west region during January by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sent a worrying signal to wheat farmers as to what will happen in February, the crucial grain-filling period. However, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research is confident of overcoming any such threat as the wheat crop survived the February heat in 2025, when the average minimum temperature was the highest since 1901.
IMD has said that monthly minimum temperatures in January 2026 are likely to be above-normal over some parts of north-west and northeastern as well as southern peninsular India and the maximum temperature is likely to be “normal to above-normal” over most parts of north-west and some parts of central India.
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Bihar are the major wheat-producing States which fall under IMD’s central and north-west meteorological subdivisions. Wheat production in India is key to maintain food security and a “small” drop of 1.85 million tonnes (mt) in production in 2021-22 due to higher temperature in February 2022 led to an export ban, that is yet to be lifted despite record output of 117.94 mt in 2024-25.
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Source : The Hindu Businessline
